Stimulus Bill includes $300 million for "Green Golf Carts"

[Soul Crusher]

CONGRESS $HOPPING CARTS
Comments: 53Read Comments Leave a Comment By GEOFF EARLE Post Correspondent
 ELECTRIC BUZZ: Hillary Clinton in 2005 rides the type of electric vehicle now earmarked in stimulus plan.
Last updated: 2:42 am
February 11, 2009
Posted: 2:26 am
February 11, 2009

WASHINGTON - "Fore!"

The federal government is preparing to spend millions to purchase a fleet of small electric vehicles that critics compare to golf carts.

The $838 billion economic stimulus bill that passed the Senate yesterday contains $300 million for the government to purchase a fleet of "green" cars.

But the money won't just go to buy fuel-efficient hybrids such as the Ford Escape or Chevy Volt.

The cash also can be used to purchase "neighborhood electric vehicles."

The NEVs, which resemble streamlined golf carts, scoot at up to 25 mph, operate on battery power and can be plugged into 110-volt outlets for charging.

They are sometimes used at hospitals, college campuses and retirement communities, and can cost around $8,000 each. They don't produce carbon emissions.

The House-passed version of the stimulus provides even more money for federal car purchases - $600 million. The pot of money also specifically includes the NEVs.

There's also a tax subsidy in the bill to juice up vehicle sales - a potential a job-killer for golf caddies.

The provision gives a 10 percent tax credit off the price of specified "low-speed" vehicles costing up to $40,000, for a total cost of $3 million.

The bill does not appear to cap the total number of credits that a person or business could take.

"Americans who aren't lucky enough to get a piece of the stimulus pie will at least be able to rest comfortably at night knowing that the guy who just fired them is gonna get a tax break on his new golf cart," fumed one Senate GOP aide.

Although the origins of the provision are unclear, it could be a boon to North Dakota-based NEV manufacturer Global Electric Motorcars, a division of Chrysler.

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) posted a release on his official Web site last year announcing a Global vehicle the feds purchased for use on the Capitol grounds.

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which produced the spending part of the stimulus.

"They're extremely versatile and efficient. We do enjoy that people can use them and benefit from them, especially in this era of eco-friendly and reducing our dependence on foreign oil," said Joan Michelson, a Global spokeswoman.

The feds already use the vehicles at Army bases, parks, and other areas.

But neither Capitol Hill aides nor the Energy Department was able to say specifically what the carts would be used for, nor does the stimulus bill.

geoff.earle@nypost.com

________________________ __________________

No commentary needed.

[OzmO]

No commentary needed.

Trust me, it will be needed.

"unbelievable"

[Soul Crusher]

Trust me, it will be needed.

"unbelievable"

This is why Obama has lost all credibility with most people so quickly. 

He is defending what is inherently and obviously indefensible.

[OzmO]

This is why Obama has lost all credibility with most people so quickly. 

He is defending what is inherently and obviously indefensible.

What ever happened to walking?   

[Soul Crusher]

What ever happened to walking?   

What I saw in florida yesterday was more depressing than anything I could imagine.

I was watinig for "Massa Massa, save me, save me Massa"

[OzmO]

What I saw in florida yesterday was more depressing than anything I could imagine.

I was watinig for "Massa Massa, save me, save me Massa"

yeah, I heard the clip of the lady living in her car asking for help on the radio this morning.  I'm all for helping her, but not the way of "over spending/useless spending kind"

[Hugo Chavez]

I don't see a problem with this, won't it save money?  Government has to buy cars and carts anyway and you're yelling at them because now their government car will be a fuel saving NEV at 8000.00? instead of a more expensive car that carries a bigger fuel bill?

perhaps it needs to be more specific to make sure it's saving and not being abused but the idea is right.

[Soul Crusher]

yeah, I heard the clip of the lady living in her car asking for help on the radio this morning.  I'm all for helping her, but not the way of "over spending/useless spending kind"

Not her, but those other two slugs.  The guy from McDonalds was disgraceful.

[Soul Crusher]

I don't see a problem with this, won't it save money?  Government has to buy cars and carts anyway and you're yelling at them because now their government car will be a fuel saving NEV at 8000.00? instead of a more expensive car that carries a bigger fuel bill?

perhaps it needs to be more specific to make sure it's saving and not being abused but the idea is right.

Its a waste of freaking money.  how does this help your economy?

It doesnt.  Its a payoff to the company who makes these things who probably contributed to Pelosi.

[Hugo Chavez]

What ever happened to walking?   

time efficiency.  depending on the government facility and what the employees use them have to do, would you have them being more efficient or spending their time walking and the agency having to higher more people to get the same job done?  I don't know, maybe the mailroom guys at the pentagon run around in these carts.  would you have them drop the carts and higher more people to manually push carts around?  There are probably many examples.

[Hugo Chavez]

Its a waste of freaking money.  how does this help your economy?

It doesnt.  Its a payoff to the company who makes these things who probably contributed to Pelosi.

same question to you that I just posted above.

[Soul Crusher]

time efficiency.  depending on the government facility and what the employees use them have to do, would you have them being more efficient or spending their time walking and the agency having to higher more people to get the same job done?  I don't know, maybe the mailroom guys at the pentagon run around in these carts.  would you have them drop the carts and higher more people to manually push carts around?  There are probably many examples.

We need private sector stimulus, not fantasy nonsense and george jetson golf carts. 

What a disaster this is. 

[Hugo Chavez]

We need private sector stimulus, not fantasy nonsense and george jetson golf carts. 

What a disaster this is. 

just answer my question.  If a large government facility uses these carts to get shit around efficiently, do you nix the carts and higher more to push the carts around?  Now like I said, perhaps it needs to be more specific to prevent abuse but the idea isn't wrong.

[OzmO]

time efficiency.  depending on the government facility and what the employees use them have to do, would you have them being more efficient or spending their time walking and the agency having to higher more people to get the same job done?  I don't know, maybe the mailroom guys at the pentagon run around in these carts.  would you have them drop the carts and higher more people to manually push carts around?  There are probably many examples.

There probably are many examples, but in times like these I think being practical is better.  There is nothing wrong with walking.  A golf cart is a luxury.  Thinking Golf Carts would make our inept government more efficient is fantasy.  

It looks more like a pay off to me.  And mail room guys can use bikes.    We ar enot talking about 300K   we are talking about 300 million

[Soul Crusher]

just answer my question.  If a large government facility uses these carts to get shit around efficiently, do you nix the carts and higher more to push the carts around?  Now like I said, perhaps it needs to be more specific to prevent abuse but the idea isn't wrong.

This is supposed to be "stimulus" to get the private sector spending money again.

This is obviously another example of "Pork" that Obama said did not exist in the bill.

1.  Cut the payroll tax
2.  Get the infrastructure stuff going asap
3.  Tell the banks to fuck off and deal with their mess.
   

 

[OzmO]

I be willing to bet that if they took what ever it was they think these golf carts will help and said to someone find a way to make the whole thing more efficient and save money without the golf carts, that it could be easily done.

Get a guy like Warren Buffet to recommend someone.  He's the type of person that knows how not to waste.

[OzmO]

3.  Tell the banks to fuck off and deal with their mess.
   

 

I can see it in RED letters on Drudge:

OBAMA TELLS THE BANKS TO FUCK OFF!

 

[Soul Crusher]

I be willing to bet that if they took what ever it was they think these golf carts will help and said to someone find a way to make the whole thing more efficient and save money without the golf carts, that it could be easily done.

Get a guy like Warren Buffet to recommend someone.  He's the type of person that knows how not to waste.

Amen.  

A guy like Buffet, Trump, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Michael Bloomberg, et al, could do an amazing job at cutting costs, but they would never be considered.


  

[Soul Crusher]

I can see it in RED letters on Drudge:

OBAMA TELLS THE BANKS TO FUCK OFF!

 

Geithner is a shill for the banks.

[a_joker10]

This is well and good, but will the bill only allow for American owned car companies to get money from this, or are the best selling hyrids and elecrical cars from Japan going to receive most of the profit from this.

Any stimulus should have been for Construction and new manufacturing projects for companies headquartered in the USA .

[Soul Crusher]

This is well and good, but will the bill only allow for American owned car companies to get money from this, or are the best selling hyrids and elecrical cars from Japan going to receive most of the profit from this.

Any stimulus should have been for Construction and new manufacturing projects for companies headquartered in the USA .

What a freaking mess this.

Simply put, cut the damn payroll tax.  people will imedidately spend more money.   

[a_joker10]

What a freaking mess this.

Simply put, cut the damn payroll tax.  people will imedidately spend more money.   

As I have said before the biggest problem in the US and the rest of the world is that credit has dried up.

You can't ask for anything better then the prime rate at .25%.
It is essentially free money.

But if the banks won't lend.
Then businesses can't grow.

There are many people looking at projects to start but they can't get capital financing from banks.

[Soul Crusher]

You know what, big purchases are not going to come back in large manner. 

I think people are wising up to being slaves to debt.

[a_joker10]

You know what, big purchases are not going to come back in large manner. 

I think people are wising up to being slaves to debt.

I think you are wrong.

Most large companies won't buy things with Cash if they can use a loan that they can write off.

It is the difference between good and bad debt.

These companies are looking for the capital markets to free-up before making any large or significant purchases.

If you truly believe in a free market now is the time to invest in your company because money is cheap.
However you need access to the money to make wise investments.

[Hugo Chavez]

mailroom guys use bikes?  funny, back in the day I saw them pushing around carts and I've been in facilities where they did have powered carts and carried around quite a bit..  Like I said, the gov had to buy x amount of vehicles anyway.  What will these options be replacing?  do we have that answer here, no... how many cities might jump on this, replace a gas fleet of parking patrol with new nevs and save the taxpayer over what they would have been spending on gas and similar vehicles.  You guys so don't have enough info to cry raw deal on this.  There's a lot to look at and this story falls way short of telling us about the entire picture.